Cloned Battle
by Vela Taylor
Summary: UPDATED! Shadow can warp beetween his clones minds, the only one that can pilot them. And, he may be the only one who can save Sonic, after he gravely injured him in the first place. PG-13 for extreme violence and blood. First upload. R&R.
1. Battle Confusion

Sonic watched Shadow carefully, and then the dark hedgehog leapt out of know where and struck him across the face. Sonic reeled back and put a hand to his face. Here was blood coming from his mouth. In a low growl he retaliated, launching himself at Shadow's form. Entangled, they fell to the ground in a mess of spikes, fists, and flying blood. Shadow flipped Sonic away with a firm shove to his stomach with his feet. Sonic rolled on his back and stood back up on his feet. Shadow was bleeding from his right hand. Sonic pulled one of Shadow's spines from his shoulder. This could go on a while.

Sonic stop! Tails cried, watching the battle. Chains that kept him from helping bound him. The guardian next to him struggled against the bonds to no avail. Sonic was fighting a losing battle.

Argh! Sonic shot forward and used all his body force to slam into Shadow, sending them both into the wall. Pain rocked through Shadows shoulder as he cried out in surprise. He had not been expecting Sonic to use an attack that would injure himself as well. Everything was on the line here, and Sonic must know it. As Shadow pushed Sonic away he noticed that Sonic had scraped his forehead in the act. Stumbling back Sonic readied himself. Shadow kicked upward in a powerful strike that landed on Sonic's chin. The force was so powerful that it sent him backward though the air and to the ground a few feet away. Sonic lay there for a moment before pushing himself up.

Shadow! Stop this! Rouge screamed from behind the cage bars. She gripped them and tried to pull them free. Metal didn't fall easily.

Yes. Lets end this. Shadow sneered. Sonic rolled his eyes.

You'll lose.

Shadow shot past Sonic, punching him. Before Sonic hit the floor, Shadow grabbed him and pulled him back up to punch him again. This time he let Sonic fall and even pushed him some. Sonic didn't want to stand up again. He'd just get beat down.

He was beyond tired at that point and the metal floor was even warmer than he would have thought.

Wait…it wasn't warm. It was the blood…

Pouring…

Sonic wiped his face with the back of his hand as he slowly stood. He was bleeding heavily. He quietly wondered if it would stop…

Faker.

Slowly Sonic turned and watched Shadow out of one good eye and a blacked one. Shadow was standing fine but Sonic still saw it. He had tried to mask it but Sonic had saw…and now he would win.

Shadow ran to throw at him again, and Sonic stood his ground.

SONIC! Amy screamed, pulling forward from the robots dead grasp. She couldn't free herself…

Shadow raced forward, and as he was about to strike Sonic reached out and grabbed in a lightning strike. Shadow was moving too fast to stop and he paid severely for it.

Sonic felt the arm give way into cracking and watched as the shoulder blade on the dark hedgehog shattered. The muscle spasm was all to fast and then he let go, satisfied with his work. Shadow fell to one knee just past his opponent.

He used his left hand to grasp his right shoulder. Torn between agony and fear, Shadow stared at his adversary with anger in his eyes. Sonic backed off.

I can't fight you. He said. I'm leaving.

Yeah. Over my dead body!

Shadow did the unexpected rising up and slamming into Sonic. Sonic was thrown to the floor, as the back of his head cracked against the metal floor. Shadow winced and gripped his shoulder once again, right arm hanging limp. And then to the motionless hedgehog that lay at his feet he said…

Or yours.

Feat spread awkwardly apart, half dead. Shadow gave into the pain, slowly falling apart. After his victory he would be paying. Dearly. Panting hard, he fell to his knees slumping forward. His energy was gone.

Internal bleeding had a way of doing that to you. The light in his eyes flickered for an instant as he fell forward a few feet from Sonic.

There would be no struggling now…not ever…

SONIC!!! Amy cried out in agony. Twisting her wrist she managed to get free for an instant running forward. A robot shot its arm out and grasped her form.

LET ME GO!!! She continued, struggling with all her might. Nothing was working. She reached out with one hand desperately, blinded by tears. PLEASE! I HAVE TO HELP THEM!!!

EGGMAN! Knuckles yelled, pulling against the chains with more force than Tails would have thought possible. Nothing availed, and where the chains were tightly wrapped, flesh ripped. Blood…

Rouge sat on the floor slowly, sliding away from the bars.

Shadow was…dead?

SONIC! Tails yelled, pulling forward. WAKE UP!!!

Watching the hedgehog's prone form lay beaten. Blood from his head…draining…

Nothing.

Not any assurance to the team that he was alive.

Not a heartbeat.

Ha ha ha ha!

Laughter erupted in the large arena. Echoing off the walls and into your head. He laughed. Mercilessly he laughed.

Tails didn't find it funny. He was sure that the scowling guardian next to him wasn't amused either.

Eggman… Amy sobbed, sinking down to the floor. Why…?

Because I could. He hissed. He was full of glee. Like he had won.

Shadow… Rouge whispered to herself. Staring down at his form.

Broken…

You haven't won yet Eggman! Tails yelled, glancing at Amy. Anger was welling up.

There was a metallic clanking as the arena doors opened. All eyes went there.

Even Eggman's.

This is unexpected. He said.

What? Knuckles asked.

Doctor…

A form appeared.

I play my wild card.

Shadow stood there.

Now.

Shadow! Rouge screamed, jumping up and grabbing the bars of the cage.

Shadow… Eggman said it a little less excited than Rouge had been.

What had happened?

What? Tails asked rhetorically as he looked at Knuckles. The guardian shrugged.

His eyes darted to the black hedgehog that was laying facedown on the floor by Sonic, bleeding, and then this new one. The new one with no scars, whatsoever. No broken arm. No fatigue.

Identical. Absolute.

Shadow.

Well then… He said, pressing a button on the console.

I play mine.

All the panels slid open on the walls surrounding the arena. Robots poured out and into the space.

Now. Eggman finished. Shadow grinned.

As if that was the cue, all the robots rushed forward toward the programmed target. Shadow leapt into the air, and a robot swung its brick like arm at him. Before it hit he warped to behind it.

The robot was no more, but a pile of scrap.

He feigned to the right and jumped. He warped. Strike. Warp. Strike.

Argh!

A harsh laser strike to the back sent him reeling forward. A robot went to hit the injured hedgehog, but Shadow wasn't down yet. They still had to count.

He's a robot! Amy exclaimed between sobs.

She was right.

You could see the components through his back, where the fur was burned away. The gears and wires that were the soul of the robot.

Still he moved as Shadow did. Raced, fought, breathed…

It was Shadow.

Shadow! LOOK OUT! Rouge screamed suddenly. A robot plowed into him from behind, where he had a blind spot. There was no escape, and no mercy as he was thrown to the floor in a wreck. As the attacker approached, another robot closer to him scooped the form up and held it around the neck.

Rouge didn't know if you could choke a robot, but Shadow did seem to have some difficulty. His hands were pulling against the robot's claws.

Heh heh. Eggman chuckled. I win.

No. Rouge whispered, gripping the cage bars in anger.

Hand over the emeralds if you want to see him live. He laughed. Otherwise his life is mine.

Rouge knew that he knew they had an emerald. He didn't know which one.

If you guess who has it we'll hand it over. But first let Shadow go. She yelled.

He shook his head.

I grow tired of your games. He sighed.

She watched as the robot squeezed a little tighter. Shadow shook his head. Rouge nodded.

We decline. She said, folding her arms.

What?! Tails asked. What does she mean?

Rouge! Knuckles yelled.

Disbelief poured into Amy head continually. She could only fear.

Fine. Eggman sneered.

KILL HIM! He roared, motioning wildly to the robot with his captive. Rouge watched as Shadow went limp, and the eyes faded as an awful snapping noise occurred.

While everyone watched Shadow's death, Rouge was watching Shadow's flesh form.

As the robot's eyes went out, his real eyes opened a slit, searching, and then fell back closed.

Only Rouge knew. Shadow wouldn't die as a robot. Ever.

Now give me the EMERALD! He screamed, holding a hand out to the bat.

No.

No?

Here's the deal, Rouge said, looking defiant. We take the emerald, and we leave with Shadow and Sonic's bodies. They need proper burial. Then we give you the emerald.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Tails stare was steady on Eggman. Knuckles watched Rouge. She was up to something.

No. I want the emerald. He growled. I'll keep one body until I get the emerald.

Fine. Rouge said, shaking his open hand. Deal.

The cage opened and Rouge hopped out to the main floor. The chains loosened from around Tails and Knuckles, and the robot let Amy go.

What are you doing?! Tails hissed running forward.

Rouge winked. I'll explain later.

Sonic! Amy cried, leaning over his body. Knuckles raced over to look as well. Assess the damage. Tails also leaned over their friend.

Rouge went to Shadow. She leaned over to look like she was checking his wounds.

I got this one. She whispered into his ear. His eyes fully closed, and he relaxed.

Help me get Shadow. She said, pulling on his arms.

Why Shadow? What reason? Tails asked.

He's conscious. She whispered again. Knuckles was up in a flash and helping her support him. Tails also got up and helped them.

Why do we have to leave Sonic? Amy asked, torn at this decision.

We'll be back. And we won't leave without him. Knuckles assured the pink hedgehog. She nodded tearfully and approached the group.

Lets go home. Tails announced.

That's when it hit the team.

They'd be going without Sonic.

How is he?

He's still asleep.

Knuckles leaned against the same railing that Rouge was.

How did you know that he was still alive? He asked suddenly.

He's done it before. Warping his consciousness between the leftover clones of him. I watched carefully. She answered, looking down. How was Sonic's condition?

Concussion, sever bleeding, among other things… Knuckles began. But he was alive.

How do you know that? She returned.

His heart was still beating.

I see. She said quietly, looking to the floor. Nodding to herself, she stared into space. Knuckles got up and left, walking toward Amy's hut. She had been there since they had arrived back. Lightly knocking on the door, it opened a crack.

Hello Mr. Knuckles. Came the soft voice.

Hello Cream. He said, in a gentle tone. She smiled faintly and opened the door for him. He entered and she closed the door behind him.

Amy's been planning this whole time. She won't take a rest or sleep. Cream continued. Cheese flew by with some bandages, and out the window.

Cheese has been taking thing to Rouge. She frowned. Tails is busy.

Knuckles could see that Cream was depressed due to the nature of the current events. He knelt down on one knee.

It'll be okay. Sonic's fine. He assured her. She jumped into his arms in true rabbit style.

Then how come he's not here with us? She cried, tears running down her cheeks.

He'll be back soon. I know that. He said quietly, trying to be of comfort.

I want to help you. She whispered in his ear. I want to get Sonic back here, so Amy won't be sad.

She pushed away from his shoulder and looked him in the face.

Tails said something is wrong…and that we'll need everyone to stop it.

His body shouldn't have taken on that much damage in such a short time. It was a mystery to the madman. Something just wasn't right.

Do another scan. He said.


	2. Memories Forgotten

Hello! Vela here. Thank you for your reviews. I'm still getting the hand of this whole community and reviews. Still I love them all. It helps me decide what to write here. So, this one I hadn't planned to continue. However, I think that you all like it enough for me to at least try. It actually started out as a prologue to a different fic, that I later changed. So I shall change it a bit, tweak it and finish it. Well, at least write more. For all you who liked it. Thank you!

Disclaimer: Don't own nobody, but myself. Got no cash to own them, just enough to run my 'net. Haha. Read on.

After the battle, Sonic never woke up. But he didn't die. Plainly put, he was in a sort of coma. Eggman didn't know what to feel. Happy that he's getting an Emerald, upset that he couldn't torment the prisoner, happy that Sonic might die eventually. It all evened out in the long run. For him.

"Scan complete Doctor." The medical robot clanked inside the room. Handing the mad man the chart, it quickly backed behind his chair out if his sight. He glanced at the chart, and smiled. It plainly said, that the azure hedgehog was a mess. And a mess he was.

They almost had to scoop him off of the floor. As an injured captive, that would soon be turned over, he had to at least make sure his heart was still beating when he gave him back to the rebels. IF he have him back. Sonic was a prize to him. Better dead then alive. Still, he had to be alive now. Started regulating the blood that he had lost during the battle. Rouge had quoted him as dead.

Eventually...

He would be.

Shadow woke up, and wished that he hadn't. Pain was gone, but the memory was there. The memory of the pain. That's what hurt. Pushing himself up, he sat up and rubbed his head. Then after a few moments, steadying himself, he opened his eyes. A wave of dizziness over took him. Wavering for a moment, he blinked a few times. Swinging his legs over the side of the cot he slowly stood. At least he still could stand. Sonic might had a bit of trouble in that area.

"You okay?" Rouge asked, walking forward. Caught Shadow by surprise, her moved back rapidly. The world dipped and twisted as he fell backwards onto the cot once again. Normally, Rouge would have laughed and poked fun. She didn't even crack a smile at him.

"Guess not." Shadow finally returned, closing his eyes again. His legs still hung aimlessly over the side. His shoes were under the cot. Good thing for him, let her trip over them and lose it again. That's the last thing that they needed.

"Here, let me help you then." Rouge reached out and Shadow took her hand. She pulled him up, and he sat upright in the cot.

"Urgent?" Shadow asked. Rouge sighed.

"Only a tad."

He frowned deeply. "Sonic didn't get out then."

Rouge shook her head, no. Shadow frowned deeper. He hadn't expected him to. Both were battered and bloody, and barely conscious. Shadow looked down, and saw for the first time that he was unscarred.

"Wait...." He began, puzzled. Patting his chest and arms, searching. Rouge watched.

"Knuckles used the Master Emerald." She said, offering an explanation. "Warped your body back to before that fight."

Shadow nodded. Moving him alone through time was what saved him. After he moved back, he began to rewrite what happened to his form. So, it was as if his body hadn't been injured at all. That meant....

"Rouge, do you see a microchip?" He asked her, moving to show her his neck. He knew that is was either broken, or gone completely. She shook her head once again.

"No." She said, folded her arms. "Care to elaborate?"

"The reason I was attacking Sonic was the chip. It was sending me recorded images..."

"Of?"

Shadow didn't answer, and Rouge didn't need him to. She knew just after she had asked. The painful memories that Shadow had forgotten after his fall. What he had finally forgotten.

Maria.

"Sorry Shadow," Rouge said, placing her hand atop of his. "You didn't need to be reminded of all that."

He zoned out, and after feeling her hand he snapped back to reality He looked up at her.

"I don't mind anymore. It helps me retain what I see now that the block is gone."

He smiled, leaning forward to whisper, "Now I can remember you again.

Rouge smiled then.

He hadn't remembered her after it all...ended. However, with the memory relay made to confuse him, which worked, there was an additional...benefit.

None of it had been filtered. It was all his memories that he ever possessed, in crystal clarity. Although the ones of Maria, the girl, had been intensified, all the others had been left there. Including her.

Memories of Rouge.

That also made him remember what he had forgotten. All of it. He was Shadow again. Same but changed. For the better.

"Hey you two." Came the gruff voice at the door. They both turned and looked. Knuckles leaned against the frame.

"Meeting's over. Couldn't wait for Shadow to wake up." He said, walking over. "We're all heading back after Eggman. We can't give him the emerald."

Rouge sighed and then stood facing Knuckles. "I wouldn't have agreed if I wouldn't have kept the promise guardian boy." Her eyes flashed dangerously. "We are going to give him the emerald."

"I think you hit your head Rouge." Knuckles returned. Rouge folded her arms, and shifted her stance. Dead stare. It was like a battle, standing there staring. Shadow intervened.

"Uh, by giving him the emerald, I would have a point to warp back and forth to." He explained. Rouge knew it even before Shadow had. Then when it hit Knuckles, he grinned.

"With Chaos Control?" He asked, just to be sure he was in the right mind. Shadow grinned madly.

"With Chaos Control."

Rouge smiled, and gave Knuckles a 'look'. An I-told-you-so-my-ideas-rule- type of look. He submitted quickly, and began planning from there. He then that he would most likely kill Sonic, even when he got the emerald. They had to prevent that from happening. It was all a matter of speed, ironically. In and out, getting their friend. It would not be easy.

"I'll call another meeting." Knuckles said, turning away. After he was nearly gone, Rouge turned and faced Shadow. Winking, she said "Lets hope that he remembers all that. That it wasn't too much info."

Then from outside, a stone's throw reach came the sarcastic and blunt retort.

"I heard that."

Rouge grinned, and offered Shadow her hand. He stood up on his own, and they walked together to the door. Shadow let up and Rouge walked past him. She halted.

"What?"

Shadow mused, "I didn't think that you even remembered my Chaos Control abilities."

Rouge blushed. "Well that is a different matter...."

She remembered, when she was Shadow's partner on the Dark Side. When she first met him. He had saved her with the special ability. From being blown apart in a locked safe. He said the he did it to save the emeralds. Rouge knew that it might have been something more. And deep in Shadow's heart, he didn't know it yet, but it might have been something more to him as well...

'He doesn't remember.' She thought. Sighing, she looked at him.

"...and if you think that I wouldn't remember..."She continued. "You may have not attained all of your memories."

Shadow looked.... stricken. Like he was missing something important. Lost almost.

"Then I have an even greater reason to meet with Eggman." He glared. "He still has something very precious to me."

He looked at Rouge, and she looked away. For fear that he would see her face. Her torn expression.

"I must have not had all the memories replaced..." He pondered. "All of them are haunting ones."

He smiled, and put his arm around Rouge. They started walking towards the meeting place.

"Not something that I can fix of course." He kept walking.

"But the Doctor can."

"If some memories were altered, you should be able to unlock them on your own." She explained. Shadow shook his head.

"I want all of them, back. In full. No matter if they are more painful than they are now."

"Hey! Come on. We're waiting for you! Amy called. Shadow put on a smile, and left Rouge's side rushing forward. He ran ahead to meet them. And as he ran, Rouge saw it.

The change in him.

This was not the same Shadow.

Rouge couldn't help but not want him to regain his old memories. They would be violent, she knew. And she didn't want him changed back. He didn't need to suffer anymore. He had changed. With the outlook of a hero.

Much like Sonic.

Rouge walked into the meeting hut, and made her way past all of the electronic equipment that Tails had been earnestly working upon. Everyone was gathered around the largest monitor with Tails manning it. Knuckles waved her over, and let her stand in front of him closer to the screen. Looking over she saw that she was standing next to Shadow again. He grinned, and then looked back to the screen.

"So, we can do this whole thing from right here then." Tails said, leaning back from the console that he had been intent upon. "Are you up to it?"

Everything was okay, till Tails looked at Shadow when he said that. Rouge looked quickly back and forth between the two. Shadow had that evil grin. Tails smiled, and turned back to the screen.

"So all we have to do is wait here for...what again?" Amy asked, folding her arms. Rouge stepped a little closer to the fox. "What is happening anyway?"

She expected Tails to answer; it was the guardian behind her that retuned the information.

"Were going to use the extra clones of Shadow, from here. Doing that will let us in and get Sonic without Eggman knowing what hit him." He explained, pointing to the screen.

Upon looking back to the screen, Rouge saw that that whole plan way laid out there for everyone to see. Shadow was quickly reading the screen, memorizing the patterns of the robot patrols and the layout of the halls. Committing it all to his memory. He was the one doing the whole mission alone, without any of the input of everyone else. It was all on him.

To Rouge it didn't seem too fair that way. Nevertheless, it was the way that they could all get their friend back.

"Now, you could stay here and do this mission from this room, or go back to..."

Before Tails could finish his sentence, Shadow had completely slumped backwards. Thanks to Knuckles quick action, he caught him before he hit the ground.

"Guess he's there already." Amy remarked. Tails turned once again back to the console and began typing. Cream, who had been sitting quietly on the floor this whole time popped up. Peeking over the seat, her chao hopped onto her head to see better as well.

"What are you doing now Tails?" She asked sweetly, as her nature was. Tails glanced down at his fingers every few seconds. "I'm trying to find Shadow. I can track any of the clones. All are under the same model number, just a different coded color."

"Find him." Rouge moved more forward, putting a hand on the back of his chair. She wanted to know where he was. Looking back at the hedgehog that Knuckles had picked up, she still saw Shadow. He was right there with them, yet not at all.

"Take him back to his hut?" Knuckles asked the bat, raising and eyebrow. Rouge nodded, opening the door for him. She followed him out. Pacing towards the hut, Rouge jogged past him and opened the door. Knuckles swiftly placed Shadow on his bed, and slid backwards into standing once again.

Rouge searched Shadow's face for any signs of his life. He was now a pilot of another mind. Like in a cockpit, but it was one that he knew well. How Eggman kept this a secret for as long as he did was beyond her.

Unfortunately, this time he wouldn't be waking up in a few seconds and looking at her. He was right before her, yet so far away at the very moment.

"Do you think..."Rouge began, but was cut off as the door slammed open. Amy burst inside and ran to them.

"Shadow's not the only one playing marionette." She gasped. "Another clone bot is moving around Eggman's base."

As Rouge looked to Knuckles, he did the same.

Shadow was the only one that could move the clones. The reason that Eggman never used them was because of that fact.

Something was wrong.

Dead...wrong...


End file.
